Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Support House Bill 68

Cyclist favorable HB68 is on the House Consumer and Public Affairs Hearing Agenda for Thursday Feb . Note from Jennifer Buntz: HB 68 passed through Consumer and Public Affairs Committee and is on to Judiciary sometime next week.

The hearing will be held in Room 315 at 1:30 pm. Consider attending if you can.

House Bill 68, introduced by Representative Rick Miera, (Dem. ABQ). is legislation aimed at increasing penalty options at sentencing for drivers found guilty of careless driving that resulted in severe bodily harm or death. Currently, unless the driver is intoxicated or found to meet the stringent definition of “reckless driving” the penalty options are not commensurate with the devastating consquences. House Bill 68 would allow stiffer penalties to be used, up to $1,000.00 in fines and/or up to one year probation/jail for careless, un-intoxicated drivers who cause severe bodily harm or death. Under current law, even when a crash causes severe bodily harm or death, but remains “careless driving” the maximum fine is $300.00 and maximum probation/jail time is up to 90 days.

In support of House Bill 68, the New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization (NMMRO) proudly joins forces with Duke City Wheelmen Foundation (DCWF) and the Bicycle Coalition of New Mexico (BCNM). Although HB68 is not specific to crashes that involve motorcycles or bicycles, many times these collisions are determined to be a result of “careless driving” even though the cyclist or motorcyclist has suffered great bodily harm or is killed. This joint effort is being done in memory of fellow cyclists and motorcyclists who have been severely injured or killed where the at-fault drivers received very minimal penalties. Among them are cyclists James Quinn, Heather Reu, and David Sciera and motorcyclists Donald Harris, Mickey Maldonado and Paul Souther.